Developing apparatus



Aug. 4, 1931. A. LANGSNER DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11, 1928 m% A h H. y Q wh N8 ,I/rZygm 1 Patented Au 4, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ADOLPH LANGSNEK OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EUGENE DIETZGEN COH- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OI DELAWARE DEVELOPING APPARATUS Application filed February 11, 1828. Serial No. 253,558.

My invention relates to methods and apparatus for developing light sensitive material, such for instance as light sensitive paper, by the action of chemically active gases, such for instance as ammonia gases.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide an improved method of quickly and effectively developing light sensitive material by first subjecting the same to water 19 vapor, such as steam, so as to slightly moisten the light sensitive paper and thereafter to subject the moistened paper to the action of developing gas generated by heating the liquid which gives off the gas.

Still another object of my invention resides inthe effective speedy development of the light sensitive material by bringing it into the presence of liquid ammonia heated so as to give oil ammonia gas.

Still another object resides in an improved apparatus for carrying out the foregoing processes.

Still another object of my invention resides in providing an effective apparatus for 5 heating liquid ammonia to generate developing gas while at the same time passing the light sensitive material over the containers in which the liquid ammonia is heated. An

ancillary object of my invention resides in no the particular details of construction wherein the traveling light sensitive material is conveyed across the tops of pans each having heating means for generating ammonia gas which, in rising, is adapted to develop the paper.

Another object in the invention resides in v the arrangement of guide rolls and cord belts in conjunction with the sequentially arranged and preferably super-imposed heating pans having open tops and-in the arrangement of heaters for generating ammonia gas for developing the light sensitive material as it is carried by the traveling cords over the rising ammonia gas.

Still another object of my invention resides in a developing apparatus wherein the sets of traveling cords are carried over guide rolls located in the developing cabinet and in a manner such that the light sensitivepaper is conveyedfirst through a preliminary moistening chamber and thence through a developing chamber where the liquid ammonia is heated to generate the developing gases for developing light sensitive material. A further object of my invention resides in the still further arrangement of the developing cabinet and its provision with a degassing chamber containing dry ammonia absorbent located adjacent the path of travel of the developed light sensitive material so as to remove the occluded gases therefrom during the passage of the material through the cabinet. An ancillary object of this feature ,of my invention resides in the articular arrangement of the open toppe pans or containers holding the ammonia absorbent and in the arrangement of the traveling cords across the top and across the bottom of the pans whereby the material is subjected to the absorbing action of the chemical in the pans not only during the travel of the material over the top of the pans, but also during the travel of the material along the under surface of the pans.

A further feature of my improved invention resides in the particular details of construction of the cabinet and in the internal partitions thereof together with the openings in the partitions and the arrangement of said rollers and sets of cord co-nveyers for passing the light sensitive material through an inlet in the cabinet thence through the preliminary moistening chamber, thence through the developing chamber and degassing chamber and ventilating chamber and finally out of the discharge end-'- of the machine, all in a continuous manner while at the same time preventing the escape of the ammonia gas from the cabinet and also effectively removing the occluded gases from the developed light sensitive material and prior to its discharge to the exterior of the machine.

Still another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a pivotally mounted discharge trough beneath the machine which trough is constructed and arranged to divert the discharged light sensitive material to either one or the other sides of the machine as convenience dictates.

Yet another object resides in the novel construction of the heating pans containing the liquid ammonia.

These and other objects of m invention will be apparent from a perusal o the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

The figure of the drawing illustrates a sectional side view of the preferred form of my invention.

In the drawing my improved apparatus comprises a support 2 of any desired construction on which is mounted a closed cabinet 4 having a "bottom Wall 6, a front wall 8 and a top 10 and the usual side walls, one of which may be provided with a transparent opening, preferably glass, for viewing the developing action. The bottom wall 6 is provided with a discharge opening 12 located preferably at its rear and the front wall 8 is provided with an inlet opening 14 opposite a ledge 16 supported b a strut 18 from the front of the machine. n addition, there is provided a plurality of internal partitions comprising a horizontal partition 20 located preferably in the front of the machine and other partitions 22 and 24 located at the rear and being preferably in horizontal arrangement and joined by a vertical partition 26 which in turn is joined to the rear end of the horizontal partition 20. In addition, the upper front portion of cabinet 4 is provided with another relatively short extending horizontal partition 28 and a relatively vertical partition 30 which form a preliminary or moistening chamber 32 disposed opposite the inlet opening 14. In addition, the partitions 20, 24, 26, 28 and 30 form a developing chamber 36 which communicates with the moistening chamber by means of a narrow slot 34 formed in the partition 30. This slot is for the passage of conveyor cords and the light sensitive material. Furthermore, the partitions 20, 22 and 26 form an additional chamber 38 hereinafter termed a ventilating chamber. This chamber is provided with an opening to the atmosphere and is provided with an additional opening 40 connected to a suction fan 42 for drawing a column of air through the ventilating chamber. The partition 26 is slotted at its upper and lower portions to provide two spaced apart openings through which the traveling cords carrying the light sensitive material pass. The partitions 22, 24 and 26 form still another chamber 44 hereinafter referred to as a degassing chamber.

The light sensitive material is conveyed from the inlet 14 through the various chambers in the cabinet and is finally passed out through the discharge opening 12. In order to accomplish the continuous feed'of the light sensitive material through the cabinet. I preferably provide a plurality of guide rolls within the various chambers and I provide oppositt pairs of cords or strings or relatively small belts which pass around these guide rolls preferably in spaced apart grooves therein and travel together from the inlet 14 of the machine to the outlet 12 of the machine sothat the light sensitive material, when inserted between the opposed cords of each belt, will be carried by friction and between such cords in a continuous manner through the machine. Obviously many different types of conveyers may be used but I prefer the present type.

Referring now to the details of construction, I provide in the suction chamber 32, two rollers 46 and 48 arranged in substan tially spaced apart position opposite the inlet opening 14 and I provide an additional series of guide rolls 50, 52, 54 and 56 within the developing chamber 36 preferably arranged in spaced apart relation as shown. In addition, I provide in the degassing chamber 44 another series of rolls 58, 60 and 62 preferably arranged as shown and finally in the ventilating chamber 38 I provide pairs of rolls 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76 and 78. These rolls are arranged preferably in the front and back portions of chamber 38 and in spaced apart relation so as to provide a circuitous path of travel for the two conveyers. The first cord conveyer 80, which comprises a series of spaced apart cords, will pass about the lower roll 48, thence will travel through the moistening chamber 32 thence through the opening 34 in partition 30 and thence through the upper portion of developing chamber 36, around roll 50, thence forward around roll 52 thence rearwardly around roll 54 thence forwardly again around roll 56 and thence rearwardly through an upper opening 82 in partition wall 26 thence through the degassing chamber around roll 60, around roll 58, then around roll 62 thence through another opening 84 in the wall 26,. thence around in suecession about guide rolls 64 to 74 inclusive. At roll 74 the set of cords pass forwardly by themselves around roll 78 and thence upwardly through an opening 86 in the partition 20, thence upwardly through another opening 88 in partition 28 and back to guide roll 48 in a closed path.

In a similar manner the other set of cords or belts 90 pass from the roller 46 through the opening 34 in the partition 30, traveling together with the cords 80 through the chamber 32 and thence pass together with the cords 80 around the rollers 50, 52, 54, 56 in the developing chamber, thence through opening 82 in the partition 26, thence pass around the rollers 58, 60 and 62 in the degassing chamber and thence around rollers 64 to 74 in the ventilating chamber, at which point the cords 90 pass upwardly at the rear of the machine through an opening 92 in the wall 22, thence through opening 94 in the wall 24, thence upwardly around a drive roll 96 and thence forwardly through an opening 98 in the wall 34 and back to guide roll 46. The roll 96 is driven by means of a chain 100 in turn driven from a shaft 102 rotated by a gear 104 meshing with a worm 106 on a shaft 108 driven by a belt 110 from the motor 112 on a bracket 114 mounted on the rear wall of the cabinet 4. The various openings in the partition walls are closed by flexible strips of felt or rubber so as to preclude the passage of develo ing gas therethrough 1 while at the same time permitting the passage of cords and the light sensitive material through the openings.

In the present type of apparatus I provide the moistening chamber 32 with means for preliminarily wetting'the light sensitive material before it is passed into the developing chamber, and in the developing chamber I provide an improved type of means for creating or generating a chemically active gas such as ammonia gas by heating a developing liquid adapted to give off the gas and particularly to give it off in a most effective manner when heated so as to provide a speedy and effective developing action. In the de gassing chamber I provide a means for removing the occluded gases, such as ammonia. gases, from the light sensitive paper as it travels along, and in the present instance I prefer to use a dry absorbent for the ammonia gas. In the ventilating chamber 38 I provide means for. sucking air therethrough to remove all traces of ammonia gas from the light sensitive material prior to its discharge from the cabinet.

The means for pre-moistening the developing material preferably comprises a tank 116 adapted to contain a quantity of water.

This tank, in the form illustrated, is provided with a centrally disposed substantially V- shaped partition 118 so as to provide two open topped portions 120 and 122 for the pan 116. In addition, I provide means for heating the water in the pan and to this end I prefer to install an electric heater 124 of any desired type within the bottom of the pan and preferably below the V-shaped partition 118 so that when the water is heated, the steam will rise freely from each side of the partition and pass from the open topped portions 120 and 122 and will come immediately into contact with the traveling light sensitive material which passes across the open top of this pan immediately thereabove. It will be appreciated that by reason of the cords being'well spaced apart across the Width of the light sensitive material, the latter will be immediately wetted by the heated vapor or steam rising from the water in the pan and due to the control of heater 124, the vapor given off may be applied in very small amounts and in a manner so as to just slightly moisten the light sensitive side orunder side of the paper. It will, of course,

be understood that the present invention is operative for treating not only sheets of light sensitive material, such as paper, but also continuous strips of the same and is adapted to feed the same either continuously through the machine or by suitably controlling the motor 112, to pass the same in an interrupted manner through the cabinet.

After the light sensitive material passes material passes forwardly around the roller 56, thence across the top of the lowermost pan 130 from which point the cords and light sensitive material pass out of the developing chamber. It will be noticed also that the pans 126, 128 and 130 are preferably formed asa series of smaller pans, the construction being made possible by the utilization of a plurality of hollow partitions 132, 134 and 136 preferably of substantially V-shaped hollow design and in this construction also I provide a series of heaters of electrical con struction 138, 142, 144 and 146 which are arranged to be submerged normally well below the level of the liquid ammonia so that when heating the same, the evaporation of ammonia will cause the gases to rise freely through the open months or tops between the partitions and will come in contact with the under side or the sensitive side of the material as it passes there-over between the traveling cords. The construction of each of the pans is practically identical. By reason of the disposition of the partitions in the pans I secure a more even distribution of the rising ammonia gas from the pans and I am able to secure a quicker and more effective development of the light sensitive material as it passes through the machine and also due to this construction I am enabled to speed up the travel of the cords and hence the travel of the light sensitive material through the machine so as to effect quicker development. This is Very important since the continuous development of large quantities of light sensitive material demands effective and speedy operation.

After passing out of the developing cham her the cords and light sensitive material pass into the degassing chamber 44 where are arranged two pans or containers 148 and 150 preferably having wire mesh or foraminated walls. These pans are each arranged in super-imposed spaced apart position and in such relation to the rollers 58, and 62 and the travel of the belts or cords so that the light sensitive material is carried entirely across and over the uppermost pan 148 thence across its under surface and also across the upper surface of lower pan 150 and thence across the under surface of the lower pan 150. From this point the light sensitive material is carried out of the degassing chamber and into the ventilating chamber. These pans 148 and 150 preferably contain a dry ammonia absorbent such for instance as copper sulfate crystals or other absorbent. In the present instance due to the fact that these copper sulfate crystals loosely he in the meshed trays and due to the fact that the light sensitive material is carried directly over the open top of such trays, the absorbing action takes place immediately while the light sensitive material is passing there-across and it also takes place while the light sensitive ma terial is passing beneath and across the under side of the upper wall due to the fact that the bottom wall of the pan is of foraminated or wire mesh nature. It will be seen by means of this arrangement that the absorbing action takes place in both directions of travel of the light sensitive material and that in the path between the two pans there is an absorbing action going on from both sides of the light sensitive material. Itis obvious that the meshes in the wire of the pans 1 18 and 150 are small enough to hold the copper sulfate crystals from passing through while at the same time permitting the free action of absorbent nature of these crystals with relation to the occluded ammonia gases in the traveling light sensitive material. When the light sensitive material passes into the ventilating chamber it is carried by the sets of cords in a circuitous manner around the various rolls and thence is deflected outwardly by means of the spaced apart deflector 152 at the discharge opening 12. During its passage through the ventilating chamber, the suction fan 42 or other similar suction apparatus assists in removing whatever residual occluded gases or otherwise that may be present. hen the paper or other material is finally discharged from the opening 12, it is substantially free of any trace of ammonia 51115.

From the discharge opening 12 the material or paper falls upon a sheet metal dis charge trough 15-1 which trough has curled ends 156 and 158 and is pivoted as at 160 to the base 2. In this construction this trough may be tilted either to the right or to the left as shown in dotted and full lines so that the paper is deflected either to the front of the machine or to the rear of the machine.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that I have provided a most advanced process for quickly and effectively developing light sensitive material either in sheet or continuous strip form and that it passes around in a continuous or interrupted manner through a cabinet and this quick and effective method is due in a primary sense directly to the evaporation of the liquid ammonia to produce a substantially heated ammonia gas which in contacting the light sensitive material, produces a very quick developing action. In another aspect of my invention the pre-treatment of this light sensitive material by the action of heated water vapor or steam or other hot liquid in gaseous form accelerates the developing action.

In a like manner it will be appreciated that due to the particular arrangement of heating pans for the liquid ammonia and the manner in which the pans are divided up into a series of relatively small open topped pans which, together with the arrangement of heating means therein, produces a uniform application of the ammonia gas to the light sensitive material and in such a manner as to permit the quick feed or passage of the light sensitive material in a continuous manner through the developing chamber. This is due not only to the subdivision of the pans but also to their arrangement in vertically super-imposed or in staggered relation and in the manner in which the cord or belt feeds the paper in acircuitous path over and under these paths.

It will also be appreciated that by reason of the dry absorbent in the degassing chamher and the manner in which the absorbent is arranged in open topped pans and particularly in open meshed pans and especially in the manner in which the cord belts pass above and below and between the plurality of such pans, the occluded ammonia gas is removed from the paper in a rapid and effective manner.

So, also, by the arrangement of the ventilating chamber in sequence with the degassing chamber and the manner in which I treat the finally developed light sensitive material to the action of a moving column of air, I am enabled to remove any offensive ammonia gas that may be left in the paper while at the same time removing all traces of this gas from the proximity of the discharge out-let in the machine. And, finally, that in the dis- *charge of this light sensitive material into the tiltable receiving trough, I am enabled conveniently to direct the paper to either the front or rear of the cabinet. It will also be appreciated that the present arrangement of cord belts is most peculiarly adaptable to the present arrangement or pre-moistening, developing, degassing and ventilating devices.

In practice I find that due to the heated nature of the ammonia gas and particularly when the light sensitive material is preliminarily moistened by a relatively breath-like film of moisture, due to the hot water vapor,

its

an unusually quick and excellent developing action is produced.

I do not claim herein the subject matter of invention described and claimed in my copending applications, Serial No. 248,745, filed Jan. 33. 1928, for developing apparatus; Serial No. 282,792, filed June 4. 1928, for developing apparatus; or Serial No. 287,l39, filed June 21, 19:28. for developing apparatus.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosing cabinet forming a developing chamber, an inlet for the cabinet, feeding means disposed adjacent said inlet and passing through said developing chamber for passing light sensitive material through the developing chamber from the exterior of the cabinet, a pan disposed immediately beneath the line of travel of the light sensitive material, a plurality of partitions in said panlocated in spaced relation from the bottom so as to provide a plurality of ammonia containing compartments open at the top, said compartments being interconnected and heating means disposed in each compartment for heating the liquid ammonia.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosing cabinet for feeding light sensitive material therethrough, a moisteuing chamber in said compart1nent,.a tank therein containing a body of water, a partition in said tank providing two communicating chambers for the tank, said chambers con'mninicating at the bottom, and a heater disposed in said tank immediately below the bottom portion of the partition, means forming a developing chamber in said cabinet and means for subjecting the preliminarily moistened light sensitive material to the action of ammonia gas in said developing chamber.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosing cabinet, means for continuously feeding light sensitive material through said cabinet, means in said cabinet forming a developing chamber, a plurality of vertically superimposed pans in said developing chamber, said pans having open tops, said feeding means being constructed and arranged so that the light sensitive material is fed across the open top of an upper pan, thence below the under side of said pan and across the open top of a lower pan and means for heating the liquid ammonia in said pan for generating ammonia gas.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosing cabinet having a developing chamber, a plurality of pans in said chamber disposed substantially one over the other and in spaced apart relation, a plurality of guide rolls in said chamber disposed substantially at the ends of the pan and one of said rolls being between the sameat the ends thereof, cord conveyors passing about said rolls so as to carry light sensitive material across the top of certain of said pans and across the bottom of certain of said pans and between the bottom of one pan and the top of a pan disposed there-below, said pans containing liquid ammonia and having means for heating the liquid ammonia therein and said pans having a lurality of partitions the-rein subdividing t 0 pain into a plurality of open mouthed com artments, each of said compartments containing a heating means.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosing cabinet having aplurality of internal partitions forming a moistening chamber, a developing chamber, a degassin chamber and a ventilating chamher, a plurality of guide rolls in said re spective partitions, a plurality of cord belts passing about said guide rolls and arranged so as to carry light sensitive material therebetween through the moistening chamber thence through the developing chamber thence through the degassing chamber, thence through the ventilating chamber and thence out of the cabinet, means in said moistening chamber for creating heated water vapor,

means in said developing chamber for creating heated ammonia gas and means in said degasslng chamber for absorbing occluded gases from the light sensitive material and means in said ventilating chamber for airing the developed light sensitive material.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a cabinet having an. inlet at its upper end and an outlet at its base and having a plurality of internal partitions forming a moistening chamber disposed opposite the inlet providing a developing chamber, a degassing chamber and a ventilating chamber, the latter being disposed at the outlet, a plurality of openings in the internal partitions, a plurality of guide rolls Within the chambers, said guide rolls having spaced apart grooves, a pair of cord belts passing about said guide rolls and lying in the grooves thereof, the guide rolls in said moistening chamber including a pair having the bite thereof disposed opposite the inlet chamber and certain of the guide rolls in the ventilating chamber including a pair having the discharge bite thereof opposite the discharge outlet for said cabinet, said guide rolls and said cord belts being constructed and arranged to travel together through the openings in the internal partitions whereby light sensitive material fed through the inlet is carried sequentially through the moistening chamber, through the developing chamber, through the degassing chamber and through the ventilating chamber and discharged from the outlet and said cords being arranged to travel singly from the ventilating chamber back to their original path of travel in the moistening chamber in a continuous cycle, means in the moistening chamber for creatin heated water vapor, means inthe developing chamber for creating heated ammonia gas, a dry ammonia absorbent in the degassing chamber and means for passing fresh air through the ventilating chamber, all of said means bein constructed and arranged to act upon the h ht sensitive material as it 10 passes through t e cabinet.

7 In an apparatus for developin light sensitive material the combination 0 means forming a cabinet having a preliminary steam chamber, means forming a developing chamher adapted to contain ammonia gas and means forming a degassing chamber, means for supportin an ammonia absorbing material in said egassing chamber and means for feeding light sens1tive material sequen- QQ tially through said chambers.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ADOLPH LANGSNER. 

